


Monster

by Morpheus626



Series: Lee's Rock/Queentober 2020 [19]
Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:47:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27115612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morpheus626/pseuds/Morpheus626
Summary: Randomly assigned lad for this prompt: BrianSet in 1974. Brian tells his parents about an important and frankly huge decision, and it goes less than well.In fact, it goes flat out poorly.But luckily, he’s got friends/bandmates who are there for him.This is in a slight AU, in that while Brian was married in the actual 1974, in this version of that year, he isn’t, and is still staying at home with his parents while the band tries to accumulate funds/success.TW for just rough family relationships, and working through them.
Series: Lee's Rock/Queentober 2020 [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950265
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	Monster

“Well, someone’s in a good mood!” Roger chirped sarcastically as Brian stormed into the studio. 

“Rather not talk about it,” Brian muttered. He set straight to picking up the Red Special and tuning, if he could focus on work, then maybe his feelings over what had happened would fade. 

“Don’t worry; I wasn’t asking,” Roger said shortly, obviously hurt at Brian’s tone.

“I am,” Freddie said, and dragged a chair over to Brian, sitting right in front of him. “Talk, or I won’t sing a single note.” 

“Fred, please,” Brian knew he sounded gruff, but underneath that, it was begging. If he talked about it, he would break down and be useless for the day, and there simply wasn’t time for that. 

“Brian no,” Freddie said adamantly. “Talk.” 

“If he doesn’t want to talk about it, then he doesn’t, leave him be,” John said softly. 

“No!” Freddie protested. “Leaves this awful tension in the air, and surely Brian doesn’t want that, and-” 

“I made my mum cry this morning,” Brian interrupted bluntly. It spilled out before he could try and hold it back. “I told them. That I’m putting aside academics to focus on the band.” 

The energy of the room changed completely, and Roger and John joined Freddie in pulling chairs over near Brian. 

“Not taking it well?” John asked gently as he gestured for Brian to sit on the extra chair they’d grabbed for him. 

Brian brushed away the tears, but to no avail. He was sobbing, and there wasn’t any stopping it. “She said it was the worst thing I could do to them. That I was throwing away the future they worked so hard to give me.” 

“I think they’re probably just in shock,” Roger said. “You know they don’t mean that.” 

“She called me a monster,” Brian wept. “Asked me what sort of horrible beast could treat their own parents that way.” 

“No,” Freddie soothed, reaching out to take the Red Special from Brian’s hands, gently setting it onto its stand. “You aren’t a monster. And Roger’s right, she doesn’t mean any of that. She’s upset right now, that’s all.” 

“What about your dad?” John asked. “The same?” 

“He wouldn’t even look at me,” Brian choked out. “Nodded along with everything she said.” 

He sniffled. “I’ve never felt I couldn’t go to them, couldn’t talk to them. Now...I can’t fathom calling them, or going to them for anything ever again. They hate me.” 

“They don’t hate you,” John said. “My mum doesn’t get the music scene stuff either, tells me she worries I’m wasting my time with all this. But I know she doesn’t mean any of the harsher things she says. End of the day, if I’m happy, healthy, and safe, then she’s happy too. Your parents are the same too, I’m sure. They’re maybe just...surprised.” 

Brian laughed sharply and bitterly through his tears. “And surprise gives them the right to talk to me like that?” 

“No, it doesn’t,” John replied. “You know you’re welcome to stay with any of us, if you don’t want to go home.” 

“That’s kind of you,” Brian sighed shakily. “And a good thing to hear. Dad packed up as much of my stuff as he could and shoved it at me on my way out. My suitcase is in the lobby.” 

“I’m so sorry,” Roger said. “I don’t...I don’t know the best way to help, but we’re here for you.” 

Brian nodded, willing himself to get a hold on the tears, to calm down. 

But he folded completely when Roger stood and came over to wrap him in as much of a hug as he could manage with Brian still sitting. 

“I think we can put off working for another hour,” John said. “How about an early lunch instead? Some time to relax and calm your nerves.” 

“We’ll go out and get something,” Freddie added. “You two stay put here, and we’ll be back before you know it.” 

Brian figured Roger might move after they left. Not out of any lack of caring, but to help get things set aside so they’d have room to settle in and eat. 

But he didn’t. 

Instead, he let Brian out of the hug and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Is there anything else I can do to help?”

He almost told Roger, no, nothing. 

“Another hug?” he whispered instead.

“Of course,” Roger replied, and half-hugged, half-pulled him out of his chair, leading him over towards the sofa they’d pushed at the side wall of the recording space. “Would it help to have another parent talk to them, do you think? My mum might be game for it, if you want...” 

Brian shrugged as they dropped together onto the couch. “I don’t know if anything will help. God, I was planning to get them to one of our concerts...what’s the point of that, anymore?” 

“The point is that eventually, they will come back around,” Roger said. “And when they do, you’ll want to have all of that planned and ready to go.” 

“I wish I could feel that confident about it,” Brian muttered. 

“You’ll get there,” Roger reassured him. “Here, lay down on my lap. Rest. I can tell you’re tired.” 

“It shows that much?” 

“Anybody would be tired after a morning like that,” Roger replied. “But...it does, a bit. You look like you need a good nap.” 

“Our studio time-” 

“We have all day,” Roger interrupted. “And lunch to eat yet. You can nap until John and Freddie get back.” 

“For a minute,” Brian said, laying himself down, his head in Roger’s lap. “Just to rest my eyes.” 

“Okay,” Roger smiled, a hand rubbing gently at Brian’s back. 

\---

“Sandwich?” 

“What?” 

“For you,” John said, and as Brian opened his eyes he realized he was holding a sandwich out to him. “You were out cold! Rog was able to move you to get up, and you didn’t so much as blink!” 

“I feel like a lorry hit me,” Brian mumbled, sticking out his tongue at the taste of sleep in his mouth. 

“Food should help with that,” Freddie said. “Eat! You’ll feel better.” 

They had settled around him on the floor, digging in, an instrument crate used as their table. 

He ate, and drank, and tried to feel anything other than terrible. 

But it felt endless, the depths of hurt and worry that came with the whole situation. All he wanted was either his parent’s approval, or their indifference. Either of those, he could handle. But not this. 

“Better?” Freddie asked gently as they cleaned up.

“I’m-” 

“Honest answers only,” Freddie interrupted with a soft smile. 

“I just want to go back to sleep, and nap until this all blows over,” Brian sighed. 

Freddie nodded. “Why don’t we let John and Rog carry on here, work on their part of things for a bit, and you come back to mine and rest?” 

He opened his mouth to protest, but John and Roger were ahead of him.

“There’s another day to work tomorrow,” John said. “Take care of yourself, mate. Or we’ll do it for you.” 

“Can you threaten someone with love and care?” Brian asked.

“Whether you can or not, we are,” Roger replied. “There’s plenty John and I can do here with just us. Let Freddie look after you the rest of today.” 

“But Freddie-” 

“Should think of getting a nurse’s outfit if I’m to be your nursemaid,” Freddie cut him off as he helped him up from the couch. “Good idea, Bri. We’ll look into it for any future rough days you might have, I promise. In the meantime, let’s get you into a bed or on a couch, at least. Deaky, Rog, you know the rules.” 

“No burning down the studio, no breaking things, and if we do break something and the studio owner asks, we don’t know how it happened and it was like that when we found it,” Roger and John recited in one voice. 

“Good lads,” Freddie smiled, and took charge from there. 

Brian let Freddie lead him outside, snagging his suitcase for him as they went. It was easier than trying to be present in the moment, that was for damned sure. And if he trusted anyone to lead him through something like this, he trusted Freddie. 

“Oh, darling,” Freddie sighed as he ushered Brian into his flat. “This feels like the last time I enticed a stray kitten home with me...” 

“Where’s the kitten now?” Brian asked, if only for the chance to think about anything else.

“Found a friend who lived near my parents who jumped at the chance to take him, so he’s now very spoiled by them,” Freddie replied. “Just like I’m going to spoil you.” 

“I don’t think I deserve much spoiling, Fred,” Brian muttered, kicking off his clogs and letting Freddie lead him by the hand to the couch. 

He couldn’t keep the tears from falling again as they sat, and let Freddie gently wipe them away. 

“None of that,” Freddie said softly. “No tears in my flat.” 

“That can’t possibly be a rule.” 

“No,” Freddie admitted. “It isn’t, or I wouldn’t be allowed in my own flat. But still, I hate to see you like this. Talk, let it out. You’ll only feel better once you try talking it out, even if your parents keep their ridiculous grudge.” 

Brian nodded, but the words wouldn’t come. 

“You know, mine barely talk about it at all,” Freddie said.

“The music?” Brian asked. 

“Everything,” Freddie said, and it was clear from his tone of voice he meant about more than just the music, but in regards to other parts of his life too. It made Brian’s heart ache for Freddie. 

“Your mum seems happy for you though,” Brian noted. 

Freddie smiled. “Hm. That’s after lots of arguments about it all though. From the music itself to my hair and how I dress, not to mention the ‘oh why won’t you just consider a traditional career.’” 

It was a serious topic, but Brian had to giggle at Freddie’s imitation of his mum. It was spot-on. 

“There’s a smile,” Freddie grinned. “Look, I know my parents and yours are different in a lot of ways, but they all boil down to the same things at the end of the day. They want us happy, healthy, and able to pay our bills.” 

He sighed. “It’s taken my parents ages to start to understand that, as time goes on, I’ll be able to achieve all of that and more with what we’re doing. Even so, I know they still worry, whether they tell me about it or not. They’ve just realized that they need to pick their arguments with me, just like I pick my arguments with them. I never thought I’d reach a point like that with them-” 

He chuckled, and shook his head. “But then, my mum says after a certain point, she knew she couldn’t raise me or Kash the way our grandmum raised her. We’re too different, too ‘odd.’ But I know she wouldn’t have us any other way.” 

He reached over and took Brian’s hands in his. “And your parents wouldn’t have you be any other way than how you are either. It’s a waiting game now with them, but they’ll come around. They’ll miss you, and wonder how you are, and so they’ll call all of us to try and reach you. And things will be okay. Not the same with them as they were before, but that’s okay too. I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think things are meant to stay stagnant like that, with parents. You grow past them, in other directions.” 

Brian squeezed Freddie’s hands, and nodded. 

“As long as you’re trying to do good,” Freddie continued. “Good thoughts, good works, for the sake of doing good, with any reward being a nice extra...that’s what will shine through to them, sooner rather than later. It’s hard, but you’ll get through this, and so will they. Things will turn out alright.” 

Tears were falling down Freddie’s face too, and he laughed. “See, I told you I can’t make no crying a rule in here. I’d be kicking myself out far too often, if that was the case.” 

“Things probably won’t be alright by tomorrow though,” Brian sighed. 

“Probably not,” Freddie said. “But who can say for sure? I can’t. Maybe they’ll surprise us both and call by tomorrow morning. But for now, you lean on all of us, alright? Me, Deaky, and Rog. We’re here for you, always. Promise me you know that.” 

“I promise,” Brian managed to reply through his tears. 

“Good,” Freddie said. “And when your parents do reach out, you set your boundaries, do you understand? Don’t let them make you apologize for your choices, for living your life on your terms. Apologize for any harsh words you said, sure. But don’t you dare apologize for going after what you want in this short time we have.” 

Brian nodded, and let himself sob as Freddie pulled him into a hug. “Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome,” Freddie sighed softly. “We’re family now, all four of us. No matter what happens with the family that’s blood to us; we have each other. You’re stuck with us, in other words, no getting rid of us.” 

“I can’t think of any other people I’d want to be stuck with,” Brian said. 

“Same here,” Freddie said, and let him go carefully. “Now, you’re going to take my bed, and I’m going to make some tea for you before you rest, okay? No arguments.” 

Brian had none, as Freddie led him to the bedroom. He was only grateful, and amazed at how lucky he was to have friends that cared for and looked after him like this. 

But then, not just friends. 

Family, the best he could ever ask or hope for. 


End file.
